Impact amalgamator



March 8, 1938. A. M. GOODLOE ET AL 2,110,796

IMPACT 'AMALGAMATOR Filed Feb. 4, 1956 s Sheets-Sheet 1 Qvwe/Mo'ns AMGoomoE Md: ifs/ms,

March s, 1938. A DLOE E A 2,110,796

IMPACT AMALGAMATOR Filed Feb. 4, 1936 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 awe/mm;

A. M GOODAOE M Kfikrvs,

Patented Mar. 8, 1938 PATENT OFFICE IMPACT AMALGAMATOR Alfred Minor Goodloe, Roanoke, Va., and William Jamison Kerns, Elizabeth, N. J., assignors 01' mt ve Dobbs Ferry, N. Y.

one-hundredths to Anders Jordahl,

Applic tion February 4, 1936, Serial No. 62,352

5 Claims.

The present invention relates to an amalgamator to be used particularly for recovering gold particles from gold bearing ore, as well as other metals which can be amalgamated with mercury or other substances.

It is an object of this invention toprovide the amalgamator to operate on the impact principle, that is the gold particles or dust under linear velocity will strike a rather thick mercury surface or film to which it will amalgamate. It is a further object to drive the gold particles at such high velocity that they will impact into the mercury film to ensure amalgamation. The mercury film is under rotation to provide a continuous clean film of mercury into the path of the gold bearing ore stream and to continuously collect the amalgamated metal. I Other objects will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of a form of amalgamator,

Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4--4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary top view showing the staggered relation of the blades of the discs,

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view ofa modified construction, and

Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 88 of Fig. 5.

In the form of construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, a plurality of discs are used instead of rollers. The frame 14 is likewise preferably built of wood and consists of an upper part l5 and a lower' part I6. The pipe I! is the inlet duct for the ore air stream and 1-8 is the outlet duct. A shaft I9 'is rotatably mounted in the frame l4 and preferably receives its rotation from a pulley 20.

The lower part I6 is divided into a plurality or series of compartments by means of a number of partitions 2|, preferably of iron, having the preferred shape and contour as shown in Fig. 3. A plurality of discs 22, preferably of copper, are suitably spaced and mounted on the shaft 19, and are maintained in spaced relation from each other by means of spacing separators or collars 23, also mounted on the shaft l9. As shown in Fig.1, there are three discs between each adjacent pair of partitions 2| but any other suitable num ber can be chosen. As clearly shown in Fig.2, each disc 22 has a plurality of radial slots 24 starting at the 'hub section 25 to thus form a plurality of radial blades or surfaces 26. Each two adjacent discs are preferably staggered so that there will be a blade 26 behind each slot 24, and a slot behind'each blade in the longitudinal direction of the apparatus or in the direction of the air ore stream. The mercury 21 is contained in the mercury chamber in the lower part I 6, and in Fig. 2, the line 28 indicates the level of the mercury to be preferably maintained in the apparatus.

As shown in Fig. $34311 partition l6 has an extension shield :29 as a part thereof, which is on one side of the shaft l9. As indicated in this figure, the discs '22 rotate counter-clockwise, so that the shields 29 are to the right of the shaft, which is the side from which the blades of the discs dip up or emerge from the mercury. This is to prevent the air ore stream from blowing off particles of mercury caused by the disturbance of the mercury when the blades emerge out of the mercury.

If desired, any suitable scraper can be applied in the mercury bath to scrape or scrub 01f the amalgam. Fig. 1 shows, by way of example, two brushes 3-0 fixed to a base 3|, which latter is secured to the side of the lower part I 6 of the frame 14. As shown, these brushes scrub the sides of the discs and any number for each disc or any number of brushes can be used as desired.

It is preferable, however, as in the radially slotted discs 22, that adjacent discs be arranged on the shaft IS in staggered relation, as .clearly illustrated in Fig. 4.

In the operation of the form of apparatus of Figs. 1 to 4 the air ore stream enters the apparatus by the inlet duct I 1 and passes in a tortuous path or paths through the upper part [-5, and finally through the outlet duct l 8. As the air ore stream under high velocity and the ore as dust or granular particles passes through the apparatus, the gold particles in the ore are impacted against and into the mercury film on the radial surfaces 26 of the discs 22, thus amalgamating with the mercury to be washed, scrubbed or scraped off in the mercury. The discs 22 are rotated at a suitable speed, which should not exceed such speed where splashing or dripping will cause mercury particles to be carried along in the air-ore stream as a fine mist or entrained globules. After the apparatus has operated to the point where the mercury bath contains considerable or such a content of amalgam that further operation will not efficiently take up an appreciable number of gold particles, the mercury amalgam liquid is removed to recover the gold therefrom by any suitable means such as by distillation after which the mercury is again ready for use.

It is possible to modify the apparatus in other ways than those which have been illustrated, as the drawings show merely preferred constructions. The present invention can be utilized in any form of apparatus where the method in accordance with the present invention is carried out by impacting an air-ore stream in the dry or wet state under comparatively high velocity against mercury films to thus impact the gold particles on or into the surface of the moving and constantly clean and bright film of mercury.

The present apparatus and method are applicable to granular gold-bearing ores, sands, and alluvial materials containing gold particles, and which are driven by a high velocity air stream through the impact amalgamator. As the air stream carries the ore particles in suspension through the amalgamator a mixing and stirring 'of the ore will result which will bring the gold particles into new positions in the air stream so that alternately all of the gold particles will be impacted into or on the mercury surface or film before the ore-air stream passes out of the enclosed apparatus. The frame of the apparatus is primarily built of wood but iron and other metals and substances can be used which are inert in the presence of mercury.

The thick mercury film is maintained partly as a result of a mechanical action due to the rotation of the discs or rollers partly immersed in mercury. The mercury film is also maintained partly as a result of the mercury being able to wet and adhere to the surface of an amalgamated surface. The present method does not depend entirely upon an amalgamated surface for so called catching the gold particles but more upon the thick mercury film in motion over an amalgamated surface. This thick film is quite an advantage as rusty gold particles which are not easily amalgamated will be embedded in the film of mercury and will, if not immediately amalgamated, drop off or be scraped off in the mercury reservoir or both while the amalgamated surface is in motion.

There is therefore what may be termed a double film on the discs or rollers as the amalgamated surface, copper amalgam mercury, can be termed a static film and over which is the second mobile or free moving film of free mercury. Thus the amalgamated surface is utilized as a means for producing the thick mercury film and it is in a continuous or intermittent motion.

. In other words the mercury film is in motion on an amalgamated surface which is in turn in continuous motion.

As will be evident from both forms of the apparatus in the first construction the air-ore stream is parallel to the direction of rotation whereas in the second construction the stream is at right angles to the direction of rotation. In either case the gold particles being heavier than any others in the ore they tend to follow a straight line to thus strike the amalgamated plates or rollers.

Before starting the operation of the apparatus it is necessary to amalgamate the copper discs. or rollers preferably by a separate operation involving a more or less chemical step.

The form of apparatus shown in Figs. 5 and 6 illustrates a construction in which a plurality of discs are used. The discs 35 are mounted on shafts 36 in spaced relation by providing washer spacers 31. The upper part 6 is shaped in such a way that it extends down adjacent the discs with just enough clearance 38 for the discs to turn. This forces the ore-air stream between the discs.

- used. The discs are gamated so that the mercury in the containers The ore-air fiow in this construction is parallel to the discs and the direction of rotation. Furthermore the impact action is also present in this construction as the ore-air stream passes between the discs and the free area between the discs approximately equals the impact surface of the thick edges of the discs.

The discs 35 are preferably made of solid copper but any other suitable metal or alloy can be also preferably first amal- ID will be carried along as a film to receive the particles of gold which will impact against the mercury film.

We claim as our invention:--

1. An apparatus for recovering metallic particles particularly gold from ore and the like, comprising an enclosed housing having a free space and a space adapted to contain mercury, a plurality of metallic discs rotatably mounted in the housing in spaced relationship and movable in and out of both spaces, a plurality of partitions in the mercury space to divide the mercury space into a plurality of sections, and means including an inlet and an outlet duct for forcing the airore stream at high velocity through the free space and against the discs containing the mercury films to impact the gold particles on and into the mercury film, said discs being parallel to the direction'of the air-ore stream.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, in which the discs are radially slotted and an amalgam remover is provided in the mercury space for the discs.

3. An apparatus for recovering metallic particles particularly gold from ore and the like, comprising an enclosed housing having a free space and a space adapted to contain mercury, a plurality of movable metallic surfaces in the form of radially slotted discs radially mounted in the housing movable in and out of both spaces, a shaft on which the discs are mounted parallel to each other so that each radial blade will be behind a slot in alternate order in the direction of the cles particularly gold from ore and the like, comprising an enclosed housing having a free space and a space adapted to contain mercury, a plurality of movable metallic surfaces in the form of radially slotted discs rotatably mounted in the rection of the ore-air stream; means for forcing the ore-air stream containing the gold particles at high velocity between the free space and against the metallic surfaces to impact the gold particles on and into the mercury, said plurality of discs having each a radial blade behind a slot in alternate order in the direction of the ore-air stream to divide the ore-air stream into a plurality of streamsto increase the contact surface area between the materials.

5. An apparatus for recovering metallic particles particularly gold from ore and the like, comprising an enclosed housing having a free space and a space adapted to contain mercury, a plu rality of movable metallic surfaces in the form of said plurality of discs dividing the ore-air housing and movable in and out of both spaces,

said discs being raised at right angles in the didiscs mounted in the housing and movable in and out of both spaces each disc having a plurality of openings therein, and means for forcing an ore-air stream containing the gold particles at high velocity through the free space and against the metallic surfaces to impact the gold particles on and into the mercury, said plurality of discs dividing the ore-air stream into a plurality of streams due to the openings to increase the contact surface area between the materials and to prevent the accumulation of ore between the discs.

ALFRED MINOR GOODLOE. WILLIAM JAMISON KERNS. 

